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After standardising auxiliary data, the next step in setting up IMSMANG is to implement the necessary customisation of the database reflecting the identified data requirements. Information managers have the possibility to modify the database in two ways:

modifying existing data fields i.e. data fields that exist in the database from installation which often are referred to as system fields

creating new data fields which are referred to as Custom Defined Fields (CDFs).

The objective of this step is to ensure that all data fields and values necessary for Mine action programme operation are available in IMSMANG. This step should be completed prior to designing Data Entry Form templates so that these changes are reflected on the Data Entry Forms.

IMSMANG does not automatically change Data Entry Form templates when changes are made in the Data Inventory Manager.

IMSMANG comes with more than 1,000 system fields from installation and therefore it is important to search in the Data Inventory Manager before adding CDFs in order to determine if a data field already exists before adding it as a CDF.

If there are many fields/CDFs in one category the Data Inventory Manager may be slow to load. If that is the case then move fields/CDFs into a new or existing category.

Modify Existing Fields

Using the Data Inventory Manager, information managers can customise the values of existing enumeration lists to reflect local programme needs. Information managers can add new values to the enumeration lists and deactivate existing values.

Modifying Data Fields

For example, the existing “Safety and Security Threat” data field for Land includes the values that are listed on the left side of the image. However, information managers can deactivate the values that their Mine action programmes don’t use and add the values that they do, as shown on the right side of the image.

While adding and deactivating new values is an effective and important capability within IMSMANG, information managers should approach changing the text of existing values carefully. Because many values are used across different data fields, for example, the values “Yes” and “No,” modifying these values can have unintended consequences.

Create New Data Fields

Information managers can create CDFs for those data fields not predefined in IMSMANG. IMSMANG does not limit the number of CDFs that can be created for each item; however, it is recommended that information managers use CDFs sensibly because the creation of many CDFs is a substantial contributor to poor system performance.

When determining new data fields to add to IMSMANG, it is important to carefully consider the types of data to be collected and the format of the data. Using the correct data type for each field is critical to preserving the ability to search, calculate, sort and report information easily.

Using IMSMANG in a different language than English

IMSMANG provides the capability to translate and run the entire system in different languages. To fully translate the system into one or more languages, there are two parts to consider. The GUI i.e. what the user see and the data. How to translate the GUI is described here and how to translate the enumeration values and/or CDFs is described here. If the Mine Action programme needs to be multi-language e.g. Lao and English then two different sets of Data Entry Forms may be developed or the Data Entry Form may contain labels in both languages.

Buttons in the Data Inventory Manager Window

Button

Description

If a data item is selected in the tree structure, a data category is added to the selected item. (left)

If a category is selected, adds a CDF field to the selected category. (right)

Allows you to translate the name of the categories. (left)

If a data category is selected, allows you to change the data category name. (left)

If a field with customisable values is selected, allows you to add or inactive enumeration values. (right)

If a CDF is selected, allows you to change the label, description, active checkbox, or text display. If the CDF is a multiple selection or single selection type, allows you to also change the selection values. (right)

If a data category is selected, allows you to remove a data category. (left)

If a CDF is selected, allows you to remove unused CDFs. (right)

Allows you to move the selected field(s) into a new or an existing data category. (right)